Rhianni gathers up the maps and other interesting objects, (painting, etc), "A library, we should see if we can find out more in a library. But these masks what do they do? Lym can you say what magic is present and what advantage it gave these misguided men."
As she is told of the door that doesn't open, she asks, "Have you tried that key?"
I missed the locked double doors. Let's try the key on them.
The walls of this room bear macabre decorations - human faces stretched flat over wooden frames by strips of leather or black twine. Each face grimaces in a slightly different expression of pain, looking down on a cramped room that contains a desk, a high-backed rocking chair, and a low-slung cot with scratchy-looking blankets.
There are several books on the desk. The first is a wizard's spellbook emblazoned with two entwined snakes, one red, one green. Another book is an old tome titled The Syrpents Tane: Fairy Tales of the Eldest with numerous illustrations of monstrous goliaths and tales of some sort of fey.
The last is a slim volume that looks to be both a ledger and journal written in a cypher using a mix of Draconic, Elven, and Infernal characters. It's clear, though, that the book belongs to one Justice Cerellen Ironbriar.
A ladder in the southeast corner of the room leads up to a trap door in the ceiling.
"This is the reason for the Comprehend Languages spell. Unfortunately, I won't be able to cast it until tomorrow. Do we wait until then, or do we turn all of this over to the authorities today.?"
Praxim checks out the trap door.
Trying the keys on the double doors.
Rhianni stands back, away from the door as she watches the two men try each door. "Do you think it's wise to open both doors at the same time?" she asks worriedly.
"No, I do not," Lym says curtly as she sweeps into the room, and she makes a magical gesture. "No one touch anything before I have finished checking for traps!"
The trap door is locked, but the same key opens it.
The ladder leads up to a 10-foot square room. A timber cabinet sits against the northern wall here, its doors made of iron mesh. Inside perch three strangely silent ravens. A table nearby holds a tall narrow bucket of bird feed, a quill, and a vial of ink, as well as several thin parchments weighted down by a polished rock.
Rhianni points out that these are messenger ravens.
"Do we have any means of releasing one and tracking it to its destination? It might lead to whomever is running this show."
"The encoded ledger might give us the proof we need. I will be able to decode it tomorrow. If we have seen all that this place has to show, let us take our leave.
"
"I am not certain my bat could keep up, but we could try," Lym says, dubiously.
"Let's finish our investigation and then take everything back to our residence," Lym suggests. "We have documents to decode, and I have no great desire to still be here when the guards find out a lot of people were violently killed here. There would be bound to be... misunderstandings."
"Agreed." Tomaru gathers up papers and magic items.
Didn't we search that area as well?
Didn't we search that area as well?
Which area?
Didn't we search that area as well?Which area?
The aviary.
Yeah, you searched it.
You searched that too.
1- Tomaru would prefer to leave the ravens alone.
2- Lym had suggested releasing one or more and having her familiar follow them.
Praxim also supports bring the ravens. If Lym has a plan, all the better.
Ok, let's bring the ravens with us.
I'd like to return to where we are going, but I don't think we can do so with all the ravens in tow.
"A tavern, lets get a drink and discuss our next move, this fighting takes it out of me. We can take ravens in their cages, who's gonna worry about some mangy bird messengers."
You walk through the streets at night, covered in blood and holding a cage full of birds. You find the tavern you stayed at when you first came to Magnimar. Do you go inside?
"Wait" says Rhianni, "before we enter." as she starts to cast, such that each of the party is cleaned up.
You enter, get some rooms without trouble and spend the night. What now?
Tomaru casts Comprehend Languages and reads the journals.
Tomaru tries to read the journal, but realizes it still ciphered.
Tomaru will do his best to translate the text for Lym to decypher (she is a cipher mage after all). In addition, Tomaru will cast guidance on her and use Bit of Luck as well. Oh yes, he'll Aid Lym as well.
Linguistics aid another
"Let's get to work, then," Lym says the next day. She listens attentively to Tomaru's description and starts taking notes. Lots and lots of exhaustive notes. Gradually, a picture starts to emerge...
Rhianni recites poems and songs of battle, bravery and heroes to the audience in the inn.
Praxim settles in that evening to drink and listen to Rhianni's stories. His black mood resettles and Tomaru has to help him back to his room late that night.
The next morning, he heads out early to an archery range and loses himself in worshipping the Huntsman.
When you begin working on the journal, you realize it'll take several days to decode it. What do you do?
Take several days to do it.
"Tch!" Lym says, frowning at the pages before her. "This is going to take me days to finish!"
The Wizard sits brooding for a while, then sighs with irritation.
"We could probably cut down some time if I could get more help," she says, grudgingly. "But who to trust..."
She holds up a hand to forestall objections.
"Please. I am aware of the possible dangers in involving outsiders in this business. But I am also aware that these people have started murdering people to complete some sort of ritual. If this was the only cell they had, fine and dandy. If there are others, however, we risk more innocents being slaughtered. That is unacceptable."
When we begin to translate the journal, what do we read?
Nothing, it still has to be decoded.
Meanwhile, the ravens caw noisily and become increasingly hostile.
"Will someone feed those animals?" Lym asks, annoyed. "They are getting on my last nerve. Just go to the butchers' shop and fetch them some fresh meat or something."
"We could go with Praxim's suggestion of letting one loose and trying to follow it. It may lead us to more of them."